In an equestrian sport jumping event, a horse is required to jump over obstacles. Such obstacles are often comprised of a structure having a horizontal bar held at a selected height between two upright posts. Typically two or more posts are joined together to form a jump wing that holds the bar. The bar is held such that if the horse is not able to clear the horizontal bar in a jump, the bar will be knocked free from its supports. Commonly, jump wings are wooden obstacles with movable cross bars constructed in an equestrian arena. Such jump wings are often heavy and bulky, making the structure difficult to transport or ship. As a result of their bulk, these structures are more commonly constructed on site rather than being purchased and installed at a remote location. In addition, the structures take up space in the arena and are difficult to remove when the arena is used for other purposes. Jump wings, as part of an arena, are subject to the weather causing deterioration and requiring frequent maintenance to keep the structures looking presentable.
Some improvements to the currently used structures have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,875 describes a device for holding horizontal cross bars to create an obstacle for equestrian jumping events. The device includes upright posts, each post having a guide rail with a series of holes drilled along the vertical length of the guide rail. The pole support is slidably installed on the guide rail and is fixed into a vertical position by a spring biased bolt. U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,139 teaches a modular device that can be linked together by means of T-joints into an equestrian obstacle. A framework of polymeric tubes connected by T-joints are used as upright support for the vertical post.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a portable stanchion for use in making equestrian jump wings that is durable, sufficiently lightweight to transport, and can be partially disassembled to aid in transport and shipping.